The invention relates to a method for controlling the heat in an internal combustion engine for motor vehicles with a coolant circuit and actuable devices for influencing the heat balance of the internal combustion engine, wherein a coolant temperature and further operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are recorded and the actuable devices are actuated as a function of the coolant temperature and the further operating parameters of the internal combustion engine.
German laid-open specification DE 197 28 351 A1 discloses a method for controlling the heat in an internal combustion engine for vehicles, in which, in respect of a coolant temperature, a web-material temperature between the exhaust valves and power characteristic variables of the internal combustion engine are taken into account. In addition to the temperature values themselves, the change in these values per unit time is also recorded. As power characteristic variable, it is proposed to take into account the quantity of fuel introduced in a combustion chamber per unit time or working cycle. With the method proposed in that document, the quantity of heat dissipated through the coolant circuit is controlled by means of an electric fan, electrically operated water pumps, an electrically actuable thermostat and an electrically actuable radiator shutter. In the starting phase of an internal combustion engine, as the temperature rises or the amount of heat produced increases, first the water pumps start to operate and are controlled, and then the thermostats, the radiator shutter and finally the fan start to operate and are controlled. If the temperature of the internal combustion engine cannot be controlled by means of the coolant circuit, the power output of the internal combustion engine can be reduced for safety reasons.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for controlling the heat in an internal combustion engine for vehicles which can be used with only minor changes for a range of internal combustion engines with different components.